


Ornaments

by PresAlex



Category: Critical Role (Web Series), Critical Role - Wildemount Campaign
Genre: Character Study, For the most part, I might add ships as I write this but we'll see for now, Memories, Nonverbal Molly, Self Expression, Speculation, amnesiac molly, eventually this will be hurt/comfort but for now it's just kind of...here, this is gonna all be proved wrong probably but that's ok
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-16
Updated: 2018-04-16
Packaged: 2019-04-23 22:44:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,249
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14342532
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PresAlex/pseuds/PresAlex
Summary: Mollymauk Tealeaf and the decorations he chooses for his body---unbeta'd and uneditedI wrote this instead of my 2000 word essay so uuuuuhhhhhh





	Ornaments

**Author's Note:**

> Coat origin story..............  
> This is kind of ridiculous but his coat is so loud and i literally didn't know what to do about it

Mollymauk treasures each and every change he has made to his body. His body. Not the body of this ‘Lucien’ who he’d been recognized as. That’s not him. Lucien may have shared the colour of his skin, the curl of his horns, the point of his teeth, but it was Mollymauk Tealeaf and only Mollymauk that owned this body, and he’d been sure to emphasize that fact with how he dressed it.

It starts out small. Molly’s first memory includes the stifling, crushing weight of dry dirt pressing down on his body. Unbearable pressure on every part of him, dirt in his lungs as he gasped for his first breath, loose earth in his eyes as they fly open for the first time. When he finally claws his way out of the shallow grave, an activity that must take just over an hour but that feels like it took two lifetimes-- not that he would know what even half a life time would feel like-- he finds himself wandering. Eventually when he finds his home in the carnival a short while later, remembering the feeling of dirt pressing down on a body that is barely his own, clawing out of a shallow grave that he can’t remember being buried in, Mollymauk Tealeaf buys something for the very first time.

The carnival had stopped in a fairly big city and the crowds lining up to buy tickets had been long enough that Gustav had decided they would stay in town for a couple more days than they had planned. There had, in fact, been enough money made from the first three shows alone, that Mollymauk was given a small cut to buy himself something. He didn’t have his voice yet back so he couldn’t do much for the travelling circus, but he’d been quick to learn some sword tricks, and he’d been helping out where he could. In new towns, he would trail behind one of his fellow carnies, handing out flyers while they did the verbal advertising. Gustav had even gifted him a well used set of tarot cards that he had been memorizing for when he got his voice back.

On their first night off, Orna and the Knott sisters had dragged Molly out for a night on the town with their hard earned money. Molly had spent the entire night grinning happily as he watched his new friends dance around a fountain at the centre of town, and try samples in the bakery. Eventually, the group came to a small clothing shop that was squished between a tavern and a brothel. No one was inside save for the owner of the shop, a little old Halfling woman who was stitching a bright piece of fabric at the front of the shop. She smiled brightly at them as the four of them entered the shop. The Knott sisters went up to the old woman, asking her questions, but instead of following them, Molly found that he was rooted in place. On a mannequin in the corner of the store, almost hidden by a rack of loud cloaks, was a long colourful coat.

Mollymauk could feel his tail-- his tail!-- jerking excitedly behind him as he made his way over the the coat. It was exquisite. There must have been a thousand patterns and colours and folds sewed delicately into the silky materials. Underneath the coat was a leather jerkin with its own brightly patterned collar attached. Mollymauk has never seen something that reminded him less of the dirt-- choking, crushing, stifling-- in the little life he can remember, which says something as his past months have been spent in a travelling carnival. A crackly, sweet voice from hip height reaches his ears and he flicks his crimson eyes down, suddenly aware that his sharp teeth are visible through his smile.

“You know, dearie, I’ve had many people come into my shop through the years, but not one of them has admires this coat like you have.” She smiled up at him, and he was quietly made glad by the fact that she didn’t flinch away from his appearance, “I must say, this coat is some of my best work. The detail I put into it is unbelievable, but when people see it they only tell me that it’s far too loud to be worn by anyone. What’s made you so interested?”

His smile slipped slightly from his face as his eyes darted around the store, trying to find any of those that he’d come in with. The woman had nodded, seemingly understanding his situation despite the fact that he couldn’t verbalize it.

“This old thing has been here for far too long with no one to buy it. What say you I give you a discount. What do you have on you?”

The smile returned to Molly’s face. He proudly showed her the six silver he had been given from the circus, not really knowing what the coat would normally cost as he had never bought one before. Nodding again, the halfling held out her hand. She tutted when he tried to hand her the money, patiently waiting until he gave her his empty hand. She led him over to the front counter where she held up a folded article of clothing from underneath the desk.

“I’d say, if you take that coat of my hands for three silver I can throw in these pants for a discounted price of two silver if you’re interested. Would you like to try them on?” She asked. Her voice was creaky in a nice way that made him feel warm inside. He nodded, accepting her help in taking the coat off the mannequin, and hurried to change in one of the rooms at the back of the shop.

Upon emerging from the curtained off changing area, Mollymauk had found the old woman holding a mirror that was even bigger than her, but she waved her hand when he tried to help her with it. There in the mirror stood a lavender tiefling with curling horns. His red eyes flitted across the reflective surface, drinking everything in. Somehow with just the addition of the colourful coat and the loudly patterned pants he felt better than he had in months. He stretched out his hand, brushing his fingertips along the silky material. This was not the same tiefling that spent the first hour of his waking life clawing dirt from above him and choking on the little oxygen he had surrounding him. His reflection showed a tiefling who was confident, who knew how to read tarot and juggle swords, who had found a family in a carnival.

He crouched so that he could be eye level with the shop owner and smiled in a way that he hoped could convey what he was feeling. She smiled softly back.

“You don’t need to thank me. I could tell you were looking for something...different”

Still. He blinked a couple times, and turned his gaze to the floor.

“Thank you” The six silver he’d earned from the carnival slipped easily into the pocket of her trousers. She reached one of her hand up, one that wasn’t busy balancing the mirror, and patted him on the top of his head.

Studying his new coat yet again he decided, this was the first time he had truly felt alive since waking up dead and he was going to chase this high for as long as it lasted.

**Author's Note:**

> you can find my main blog over @crykea and my critical role blog over @calebwidodast  
> Let me know if you see any errors w spelling of grammar. This was literally all written in one go.


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